Coming four months after the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and weeks of bungling by the nation's leaders in response, the title gives the struggling, weary country a tenacious national symbol to rally around. Here, Japanese fans celebrating at a sports bar in Tokyo.

Coming four months after the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and weeks of bungling by the nation's leaders in response, the title gives the struggling, weary country a tenacious national symbol to rally around. Here, Japanese fans celebrating at a sports bar in Tokyo.

'After all that they have been through, they have conveyed hopes and dreams to Japan,' said Shigeki Sagami, the general manager of Fiori, a sports bar in Tokyo's Shinjuku neighborhood, which stayed open all night, like many around the country, so fans could watch the game.

'After all that they have been through, they have conveyed hopes and dreams to Japan,' said Shigeki Sagami, the general manager of Fiori, a sports bar in Tokyo's Shinjuku neighborhood, which stayed open all night, like many around the country, so fans could watch the game.

Fans cheered the Japanese team at a sports bar in Tokyo Monday morning. The soccer team's remarkable perseverance has been a sharp contrast with the bungling performance of the nation's government and business leaders in the trying four months since the disaster.

Fans cheered the Japanese team at a sports bar in Tokyo Monday morning. The soccer team's remarkable perseverance has been a sharp contrast with the bungling performance of the nation's government and business leaders in the trying four months since the disaster.

When the winning goal was scored, elated shouts erupted in a sports bar. Glasses half-full with beer shook on the tabletops—this time from mass cheering, not from yet another earthquake—as overjoyed fans jumped up and down,

When the winning goal was scored, elated shouts erupted in a sports bar. Glasses half-full with beer shook on the tabletops—this time from mass cheering, not from yet another earthquake—as overjoyed fans jumped up and down,